While fans of Shazam! might not immediately associate the title with former NBA player Shaquille O'Neal's 1996 genie movie, Kazaam, one cast member has confessed such confusion.
In an interview with CBR's Bryan Cairns, actor Meagan Good revealed that her casting as the adult version of Darla Dudley initially involved a hilarious misconception. "When I ended up getting Darla Dudley, I had no idea what I was auditioning for -- like zero," she said. "I went in and pretended to be a 10-year-old, which was totally up my alley because I am very weird. When I found out, two weeks later, that I got it, I was like, 'What is it?' They were like, 'Shazam!' I was like, 'With Shaquille O'Neal?' They were like, 'No, that's Kazaam. This is Shazam!'"
Though Good was initially unfamiliar with Shazam, she did some digging after receiving the role. Upon discovering that Darla was a young girl in the source material, the actor became thrilled to play a character who could act as a role model for female fans. "It's been a fun character to play, to get my goofy side out, and to work with [actor] Faithe Herman, who is little Darla. In this next installment, I think I am 12 or 13 now," Good concluded.
Directed by Paul Michael Glaser, Kazaam was a kind of superhero film, one created before the genre was popularized by the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DC Extended Universe. It centers on a young boy named Max Conners, played by actor Francis Capra. When Max enters an abandoned building while running away from his bullies, he accidentally discovers a boombox containing Shaq's titular character, Kazaam, a 5,000-year-old genie who claims he can grant three of Max's wishes. The film received mostly negative reviews at the time of its release, with critics slamming Kazaam for its generic story and unimaginative characters. Shaq himself received criticisms for his performance as the titular genie.
As for Shazam!, director David F. Sandberg previously claimed fans will be pleased with the film's upcoming sequel and expressed his excitement for Shazam! Fury of the Gods' December premiere. Star Zachary Levi similarly stated that Fury of the Gods is a step up for the series, with the actor claiming that the returning cast was more in tune with their roles this time around. He also praised writer Henry Gayden for his work on the script, alongside actors Lucy Liu and Helen Mirren, who will play the sequel's sister-antagonists, Kalypso and Hespera, respectively.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods descends into theaters on Dec. 21.
Source: CBR